


Sleepover

by nishiki



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Gen, Good Brother Diego Hargreeves, Good Brother Luther Hargreeves, Good Sister Allison Hargreeves, Good Sister Vanya Hargreeves, Insomnia, Klaus Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Protective Allison Hargreeves, Protective Diego Hargreeves, Protective Number Five | The Boy (Umbrella Academy), Protective Siblings, Protective Vanya Hargreeves, Sharing a Bed, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Love, Siblings, Soft Diego Hargreeves, Soft Luther Hargreeves, Soft Number Five | The Boy (Umbrella Academy), Squabbling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2021-01-08 03:14:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21228851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nishiki/pseuds/nishiki
Summary: Five times Klaus Hargreeves sneaks into his siblings' beds and one time he doesn't.





	1. Cold Feet

It started with cold creeping up his legs. It began down at his feet for some odd reason and then spread upwards. It was a weird sensation. One he was not quite accustomed to. It felt as if someone had dumped ice in his bed and straight on his feet or as if he had lost his blanket almost. That alone wouldn't have been enough to wake him, usually. He was quite a heavy sleeper, actually. For the most part, as soon as his head would hit the pillow, he would be out like a light and sleep through ‘till morning. The coldness at his feet and legs wasn’t the only odd thing, though. He could feel something in his bed right next to him - not nearly heavy enough to dip the mattress compared to him, of course. 

First, he wondered if it might be Allison and, as he opened his eyes against the semi-darkness of his room, he did find a curly head - just the wrong curly head. A curly head attached to a thin, lanky ex-junkie. 

»Klaus, what the fuck?« He moaned still half asleep and not yet ready for Klaus’ weird shit. He caught a glimpse of his alarm clock only to have it shout the time back at him in bright neon numbers: 01:03 AM. Crap. He had gone to bed only two hours ago and planned on getting up at five to start his training regime like every day. Diego would never stop taunting him if he wouldn't be as fit as he usually was. Fuck … With Diego, it was always like a competition no matter what they did. Eating? Well, one of them would eat faster and more than the other. Running? Well, they would only stop when one of them would collapse. Even stupid shit was a competition when Diego was around! It was draining but also it kept him on his toes and stopped him from slacking off because that would then bite him in the ass. 

»Not so loud…« Klaus muttered and only snuggled closer, seeking warmth under his brother’s covers. Now at least Luther understood that it was Klaus’ feet that were so cold. What the hell?

»Jesus Christ, Klaus!« He uttered. »Your feet are like ice cubes! Why aren’t you wearing any socks?« And before Klaus could protest even for a second longer, Luther had escaped his bed and Klaus’ cold feet only to switch on his lamp on the bedside table. »Are you high?« A part of him hated himself for this question. Almost four months had passed since the apocalypse that wasn’t, since the team had gotten back together and since Klaus had gotten clean. But with Klaus … Well, he had learned to be more careful and not to get his hopes up too much. 

He didn't look at Klaus as his brother gave a pathetic moan and pulled the covers over his head. Instead, he hurried to his own dresser and ripped a pair of thick socks out that he would have been wearing on the Moon. He came back to Klaus without thinking only to throw the blanket back and to reveal Klaus’ feet. Just then as he was about to put some socks on those feet, Luther paused. Klaus was still wearing his leather pants but, more importantly, his feet were dirty and bloody. 

»What the hell?« He breathed out again before he pulled back the blanket completely to reveal his fully dressed but beaten up and bloody little brother trying to hide from the light inside the room under Luther’s pillow. »Klaus! What happened? Why- What did you-<< He couldn't even form a coherent question at that point. 

Klaus looked rough. Not in the usual Klaus-being-Klaus kind of way either. He looked like he had gotten into a fight with a lawnmower and lost. His shirt was ripped and dirty with blotches of blood here and there. His own blood apparently. It was July and the nights nice and warm and yet his feet were cold as ice. Luther quickly pulled the pillow away only to reveal more damage that had been done to Klaus’ face as well. There was the beginning of a black eye forming on the right side of his face. His jaw was bruised and his lips bloody just like his nose. Someone had beaten the crap out of his brother - that much was obvious. 

»Not high…« Klaus murmured. He sounded so pitiful. And no wonder, really. He was probably hurting all over. Luther ignored the fact that his brother was currently making a mess out of his bed in favor of actually caring for him. It wasn’t often the case that Klaus would come to him if something was wrong. His go-to guy was Diego and had always been Diego. Like, hell, they had even had a band together growing up. They hadn't been very good - in fact they had been quite bad but the attempt had been there. 

»Klaus…« He tried again and sighed. »Be right back.« 

Klaus just gave a low hum as Luther walked out of the room. He was a bit grouchy still that Klaus had woken him up like this but his brother needed help and so he would help him. He could kick him for it later. It was still so weird being back at the house and to have all his siblings around him again - not to be alone anymore on the moon and Luther reveled in this change of pace. He had missed them all so much since they had all left him behind - he couldn't really put it into words. At the start, he has wished Klaus would return home safely someday - just so that he wouldn't be alone anymore. Klaus had been the last to leave the house and only because Reginald had kicked him out. Back then they had always been fighting, he and Klaus. He hadn't understood his brother’s struggle and desperately wanted him to be normal - or as normal as was possible in their case. But after Klaus had left … Hell, he had missed him like mad. 

Luther walked down the hallway and to the nearest bathroom. Quickly, he grabbed their first aid kit from the cabinet and filled a little bowl with a bit of water, grabbed a towel and a washcloth and headed back to Klaus right away. His brother still lay in his bed exactly how he had left him behind. Instead of first checking out his injuries, Luther sat down on the end of his bed and pulled Klaus’ feet into his lap. He would allow his brother a moment longer to rest before forcing him to turn around so that he could check him out. Instead, he dragged the washcloth over his right foot, making Klaus flinch and squirm. Not that he had any kind of chance against Luther as the bigger one of the two brothers kept cleaning him up. 

Maybe it should be weirder than it actually was. Washing his brother’s feet and all that. But it was Klaus. He himself was a big ol’ weirdo so nothing that was concerning handling Klaus in any way seemed that much weirder than the man himself was. And, jeez, if it would come to it, he would sit him in a bathtub and wash him from head to toe. That was what family was for, right? To take care of each other. To help each other.

Klaus only gave little fight over Luther cleaning his bloodied and dirtied feet and when he was done, the water looked kinda disgusting. The soles of Klaus’ feet were littered with tiny cuts but there wasn’t much he could do about that. It looked like he had stepped into glass at one point. All Luther could really do was wrap a bit of gauze around both his feet and then stuff them into the warm wool socks he had previously taken out of his closet.

»Klaus« He addressed his brother again. »Klaus, you need to get out of these clothes. Come on, I’ll help you.«

»Oh, Luther« He cooed. »Does Allison know about this new kink of yours?«

»Shut up.« He huffed as he pulled Klaus, as carefully as he possibly could, into a sitting position on his bed. Getting him out of his pants wasn’t easy but he managed - glad that Klaus was at least wearing underwear this time around. They once had had an incident where Klaus had passed out drunk on the stairs and Diego and Luther had put him to bed. Diego had insisted on getting Klaus comfortable. Well, pulling off his pants had been a very revealing mistake that night. 

His body was littered with bruises already and more were soon to manifest, as Luther had stripped him out of his destroyed shirt. »Klaus … Jesus…« He sighed.

»I ran into my old dealer.« Klaus suddenly confessed quietly which only caused Luther to raise his brows. Accusation rested on his tongue but he swallowed it. They were trying to be a team again, a family. He needed to listen first before spewing accusations. That, Luther had to learn the hard way back when everything had almost turned to shit. He was determined to work on himself, to be a better brother and a better leader. It wasn’t always easy. Still, Klaus deserved the chance to explain himself first.

»Why were you outside?« 

»I just … I couldn't sleep.« Klaus shrugged and allowed Luther to help him into one of his huge t-shirts before cleaning off the blood on his face with a bit of gauze and rubbing alcohol. »I … I have trouble sleeping lately.«

»Ghosts?«

»Yeah … that too.« Klaus shrugged. »Anyway … I thought taking a walk would clear my mind a little and so I went outside and took a stroll. I ran into Jake, my ex-dealer, at some point. Let me just say, he didn't take too kindly to me turning down his offer of trying his new shit.«

»Why didn't you wear any shoes?«

»Oh … I must've passed out … Some asshole stole them. Kinda rude if you’d ask me, but what can you do? When you’re living on the street you give anything for a nice pair of warm comfortable shoes.« He chuckled and sounded as if none of that was a big deal, as if he couldn't have died out there in the middle of the night or as if there hadn't been any kind of risk that something worse could have happened to him while he had been unconscious. Luther wanted desperately to knock some sense into his brother’s head at that. »I don't really … I’m not angry. I hope whoever took them can make the most out of them.«

And just like that, Luther felt his anger dissipate like alcohol in the air. Klaus. That was just Klaus. Always caring. Always forgiving. Always gentle. Always kind. He remembered how he had attacked Klaus in a drunken rage. He remembered pushing him against a column and choking him and then pushing him across the room. Still, his brother had forgiven him. He had never said anything about it. And even when he told his siblings about the time he died on the floor of that nightclub he had followed Luther to, he had just grinned at him and said that it was no big deal since he came back anyway. To Luther, knowing that he had not even noticed what had happened to his brother, was still haunting, though.

Luther sighed as he put the supplies to the side and crawled back into his bed. Suddenly, he felt the overwhelming urge to just pull his little brother into his arms and have him rest in his bed. So, he did exactly that. He pulled Klaus back down, pulled the blanket up and switched off the light. 

»You are a moron.« He sighed. »Next time when you can’t sleep just … drop by. We can play Uno.« 

  
**-End of Chapter 1-**


	2. Jenga

He lay awake in his bed when it happened. It certainly wasn’t the first time that something like this would have happened, to begin with so he was actually prepared - like one would be prepared to deal with an earthquake or a house fire. Actually, growing up in this house, it had been a regular thing occurring every other night. Diego had always been one of the more attentive members of this family, privy to every little sound inside the house - whether it was the creaking of the floorboards or the old wooden beams or the shifting and turning of the house when it settled around them. And so too had he always been privy to the sound of his brother Klaus’ silent footsteps on the tiles just outside his room every now and then.

He remembered times when Klaus had come home from a bender at age fourteen, staggering and stumbling down the narrow corridor and stopped at Diego’s door because it was closer to the stairs than his own and because someone would be there to stop him from choking on his own vomit if it came to it. And, of course, it had come to it on quite a few occasions. Remembering that made him cringe. Klaus better not came for a repeat of that crap because Diego was, quite frankly, over it at this point. Not to mention that, if it came to a repeat of that, it would mean that Klaus would have relapsed and Diego was not going to help him through that again. 

Too often had he held his brother through the shakes and tremors. 

The door to his room opened without his permission as there had been no knocking against the wood. The only source of light came from the street below his window but he didn't need much light to recognize his brother’s curly messy head. Klaus stepped into his room without even asking if it was okay with Diego - not that he would care about that usually anyway. 

Klaus was like a toddler sometimes. Or like a cat. He took what he wanted and claimed whatever he wanted as his own. When he wanted something he usually just took it - like his siblings’ attention or their food. Klaus closed the door behind himself and walked towards his bed while Diego did his best not to acknowledge his existence for a moment longer. He waited as Klaus sat down at the foot of his bed, kicked Diego’s feet to the side and out of the way before placing something on the mattress.

»What did you bring me?« Diego groaned as he finally sat up. 

»Jenga.«

»No.«

»Please, Diego!«

»Ask someone else.«

»No one wants to play.«

»Yeah, and I know why. You are always cheating!« 

»Only because I always win doesn't mean I am cheating. You are all just bad at Jenga.«

»No, you are just a cheater.« Having Klaus come to him with some board game in the middle of the night was certainly not the weirdest thing his baby brother would have ever done. At least he was somewhat dressed, he supposed. Sure, he would like it better if Klaus would be actually wearing more than a pair of boxers that he had stolen from Diego’s own closet but at least he was covering his junk. It was the little things in life that kept him going.

With a sigh, he opened the box of the game and began setting up the game. Playing Jenga on a mattress was a disaster waiting to happen, of course, but if that was what Klaus needed right now … Well, who was he to say no to him? Not like he had been sleeping anyway, right? He might as well entertain his brother now if it kept his mind off of the things that were keeping him up.

They played in silence for a few minutes until Diego decided to break through that thick veil of silence that had blanketed them for the past few minutes. »Okay, what's up?« 

»We are playing Jenga, that's up.« Klaus shrugged. »Like brothers do.«

»Because all normal people play Jenga at 2 AM.«

»Dee…«

»Ghosts? Nightmares? Cravings?« 

»Ghosts.« He sighed. »One Ghost.«

»Dave?«

»No.« His answer came with a huff and a lazy little chuckle. »Do you think I would be here with you if I had Dave in my room? I would be busy having ghost sex.«

»T.M.I., little Bro.« Still, he couldn't help but smirk at Klaus’ response. Sometimes he wondered how things might have played out if Klaus had not strayed from the path so young. Maybe, if they had all been just a little more normal, Klaus would have one day come home with a boy to introduce his new boyfriend to his siblings. And Diego would, for once, have teamed up with Luther to beat the crap out of that guy. »So, not Dave.«

»Not Dave.« Klaus agreed as he pulled out another Jenga stone and lay it on top. Diego had always hated this particular game and Klaus had always hated playing it with Diego because he always got too competitive. It was a lose-lose situation for both of them and yet here they were and that told Diego more than enough about the mental state his brother was in right now. 

»Sometimes talking to you is like pulling teeth.« Diego chuckled as he decided which stone he would pull out next. »Just tell me. You know I won’t judge. I never did.« 

Klaus gave a long-suffering sigh - the sound only a person that was used to people never listening to them made. Yes, maybe he had not always been the best brother or friend to Klaus. Just like the rest of them, he could have done with listening to him more or actually paying him more attention. Maybe then his brother wouldn't have fallen so deep down this rabbit hole of drugs, alcohol and risky sex. 

»Okay, listen: Don't freak out, yes?«

»Klaus-« He warned but his brother interrupted him right away. Klaus telling him not to freak out always was the harbinger of bad news. There was never something positive following a statement like this, right? Never in the history of ever had something good followed ‘don't freak out’.

»There’s this ghost, okay? He’s always been there and he … well, he’s annoying.« That was nothing new so Diego realized something else must be going on for his brother to actually be affected by that particular ghost. He never spoke much about the ghosts and Diego was still not too sure if he understood what it was like to deal with them. »He’s … He’s a creep, really.«

»Aren't they all?«

»Not like this.« Finally, Klaus leaned back on his hands, the game between the brothers forgotten. »He’s … He’s like a peeping Tom, you know what I mean?«

»Are you saying that he watches you undress and shit?«

»He’s  _ always  _ watching.« Klaus shrugged but his whole demeanor had changed. That, right there, was no longer his bubbly, funny jokester of a brother. It was the same guy that Diego had pulled out of that veteran bar after throwing hands with the other patrons inside. »Has always been watching.« 

He felt his stomach turn at the implications.

»No matter where I am or what I’m doing, he’s there and watching and I … I just needed a break, you know? Having a ghost-like this around all the time is draining … I mean, I’m used to it not having any bit of privacy but … sometimes I feel safer when I’m here, you know? I mean … he’s a ghost and I am probably all the entertainment he can get - Jeez, I mean, I would watch my ass too if I was dead. I’m drop-dead gorgeous - pun intended. Still, I can't do anything about it and though I know he can't do anything to me … I feel better here.« 

»Wait a tick … are you telling me that you have been molested by a ghost your entire life?«

»No - urgh -  _ Diego _ !« He bristled and sounded just as offended as the mother of a preteen hearing their kid curse for the first time. »Molested? Don't say it like that! That dude is not a priest and I am no altar boy! No … he just … watches and leers and says stuff that makes my skin crawl.«

»You say all this like it was normal.«

»For me it is.« Klaus sighed but the look he gave Diego told Number Two clearly how much he was truly suffering under this particular ghost. In the dark hours of the nights, alone in Diego's room, Klaus had always been ready to drop the act and forgo the mask. That's why they had always been close. He remembered times when Klaus had come to his room with a stoic face only to break down in tears as soon as the door was shut behind him. In front of the others, he didn't like to show his vulnerability. It was different here, though. 

»I’m gonna-«

»There is nothing you can do, Dee. The guy’s already dead.« Klaus sighed with a fond little smile playing on his lips. And Diego knew that this was true. He couldn't do anything about this situation. He hated knowing what his brother was going through every day and that he himself was unable to protect him from it. He had to just stand by and do absolutely nothing about it. What a fucking joke that was!

»I can do something.« Diego decided with a frown, his mind made up. He couldn't kill that dude for molesting his brother all this time. He couldn't fight him or scare him off because, at the end of the day, it was Klaus’ fight. But there was one thing he could do. »I can let you sleep in my bed.« Diego argued back before he kicked the Jenga tower. »Looks like you’ve won.« 

**-End of Chapter 2-**


	3. Pajama Party

Sometimes, Allison Hargreeves paused in her day to day routine here at the academy and allowed herself to ponder if she had made the right decision in staying here, at the house. Sometimes, she wondered if joining her siblings again as a team of superheroes in their fight against the evils of the world had been wise. 

Sure, since the old band with the addition of Vanya had come back together, they had managed to bust quite a few asses and put them behind bars where they belonged but … Well, sometimes she was in doubt concerning her own strength of mind. Perhaps, she sometimes thought, she should have returned to L.A., to Patrick and Claire, to try and get her shit back together. Well, at least she had visitation rights with her daughter now but … Well, sometimes she missed her old life there. The parties, the high society events, the hustle and bustle of being part of Hollywood. Yet, of course, she knew that none of what she had had there had been real.

But was any of this real? Her life as part of this team? Sometimes it seemed … not. And then there were nights like this, where she wasn't able to find rest and was tossing and turning in her bed - until a soft knock would startle her in her bed - half surprising and half expected. She had always been in tune with her siblings in a weird sort of way. Like Klaus too, she had always been able to read the vibe inside the house and she seemed to know when the others were any kind of restless at night too. She could tell whenever she was going to find someone in the kitchen during the witching hour or wandering aimlessly through the halls. And she could always tell when a set of firm knuckles would rap against her door softly in the middle of the night. 

It had taken Allison all of ten minutes to realize that tonight was a night where sleep seemed impossible and so she had settled down with a book that Vanya had given her the other day. As the knock came it was almost one AM and she had expected it a lot sooner than that. 

»Come in, Klaus!« She huffed and not a second later, the door swung open to reveal her brother in all his glory - dressed in Diego’s old grey sweatpants and a Hello Kitty shirt. Where he had gotten the latter, she didn't even want to know but his habit of stealing the clothes of his siblings never seemed to die. Her brother had become a lot less outrageous and flamboyant since he had gotten sober and since the team had re-banded but there were certain things that would never change, she assumed. 

Her brother smiled sheepishly at her. »How’d you know it was me?« 

»Just a hunch.« She patted the bed beside her. »Up for a pajama party?«

»Yeah, kinda.« Slowly, he shuffled inside. In the dim light of the lamp on her nightstand, her brother looked even more exhausted than he had throughout the day. He was sporting dark circles under his bright green eyes and his skin looked like candle wax. He wasn't sick - otherwise, he would have already driven Diego up the walls. 

Klaus was the type of guy who never said when something serious was wrong with him - like the one time he had collapsed in the middle of training with pneumonia - but he was the type of person who could whine and bitch about little inconveniences like a stuffed nose. And Diego was usually the one to tend to their brother’s ailments - Mainly because Diego had no sense of disgust when it came to Klaus. She had seen Diego clean up vomit and other things on numerous occasions already - mostly related to Klaus getting clean the last go-around. He had always been a mother hen, in a way. 

Klaus followed her invitation and bridged the distance between them to sit down heavily on the edge of her bed. It took Allison all but two seconds to sit up straight and take a hold of the hand closest to her. 

»Your nails look horrendous.« She scolded gently. Just by looking at her brother’s face she could tell that Klaus wasn't really up for a heart to heart now. He came to her for a distraction and since she wasn't going to get sleep any time soon anyway, she might as well provide that distraction. For some odd reason all of them seemed to have come to the conclusion that, if they wanted Klaus to stay sober, they would need to give into his sometimes childish demands from time to time. Like right now. Right now, he didn't want to talk to his sister like an adult about the things keeping him up at night. Right now, he wanted to be silly little Klaus who had enjoyed gossiping and talking boys with her when they were thirteen. 

In a way, Klaus had always been her little brother. When had he slipped from her hands?

»Yeah, Luther has a hard-on for torturing me lately.« He scoffed. »So, I don't have much time taking care of my nails. I know, it's a scandal! I told him before that I need more time than he does to look as stunning as I usually do. He didn't want to hear any of it. Well, you know Luther. We can't all look as pretty as he.« 

»True.« She smiled before she maneuvered her legs over the edge of the bed. »Well then, let me take care of you.« 

»Oooh, like in the old times?«

»Sure. Welcome back to Salon Allison. We missed our favorite customer.« Whatever Klaus was going through right now, just sitting here with her and allowing Allison to paint his nails black seemed to put his mind at ease for a bit. He was joking around with her like he used to when they were kids, gushed with her over some random hot guy on Instagram while the polish dried and planned their next shopping spree. 

For a few minutes, it was as if she had her little brother back. And yet she could see the darkness lurking beneath the emerald of his eyes as she applied her favorite under-eye patches to his face. »So, what's the tea, Sis?« 

Klaus blinked in confusion at her choice of words before making a face. She couldn't blame him one bit for the face he was pulling. »It's-« 

»Don't say ‘nothing’.« Allison chastised gently. »You weren’t here if it were nothing.« 

He frowned and brushed a hand through his curls. Thankfully his polish was dry enough so that it wasn't ruined by his action. »It's … Dave.« He shrugged. »And the team and … everything. It's a bit much. Sometimes I just can't sleep.«

»Most times you can't sleep you go to Diego, though.« Allison smiled. It had always been like this since the age of three. She remembered hearing noises on the corridor when she was three years old and how she had opened the door to peek outside only to see her brother Klaus waddle out of his room and into Diego’s with his favorite plushie every other night. Even now as adults not much had changed in that regard. He smirked at her response.

»Yeah but … I can't bother him every night, right?«

»Since when?« She laughed. »It's not like you would have cared when we were little and I assure you that Diego doesn't care either. If anything, I think he likes it. He needs to feel needed.« 

»Well, I was a baby then.« He huffed and rolled his eyes. »I don't even know … I just didn't feel like bothering him again. He’s doing so much for me already. I just feel restless, you know? I feel like … everyone is doing so much and making so much progress and like in the past I am always only trailing behind. I always seem to be the family fuck-up and I am struggling so much to stay clean.« 

It seemed for a moment like he had blurted out much more than he had intended to say as he looked at her like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming truck but then he relaxed slightly against the headboard of her bed. 

»You are doing just fine.« Allison reassured her brother lovingly. »No one is expecting you to have full control over your powers or your addiction just like that.«

»No.« He scoffed. »Because you all know better than to expect anything of me.«

»Klaus-« 

»And that's okay.« He quickly interrupted her. »I don't really deserve your trust or hope or anything. But_ I _ expect me to be better. I mean … six months and Vanya has so much more control over her powers than I ever had. And the drugs … I mean, fuck - you would think it would be easier for me to go about life without feeling the temptation all the time, right? I mean now that I do have better control over my powers than I ever had in my life.«

»Having control over your powers … or your addiction, it's not like flipping a switch, Mousey.« Allison sighed and patted his knee. »It’s hard work, a struggle, every day. Unfortunately, you will have to continue the good fight for the rest of your life and none of us can do that for you. But we can be there for you if you’d ask us for help.« 

»I don't like asking for help.«

»I know.« She chuckled and pulled off one of his socks. »Well, looks like your toes could use some care too.« 

  
**-End of Chapter 3-**


	4. Goldilocks

It was an open secret that Number Five didn't sleep much. It had always been like this. Even as a baby he had slept the bare minimum, keeping his nanny on her toes at all hours of the day - especially when his powers had first manifested. How often had he scared that poor lady half to death when she had found him dangling from the ceiling lamp? Sleeping to him was like being dead and being dead was a waste of his time. Still, the fact that he rarely slept did not mean he was fine with being bothered in the middle of the night by a sniffling sibling.

He had ventured downstairs for coffee only to find his brother Klaus lying comfortably in his bed upon his return to his room. First, he wondered if Number Four was high again and had broken all of his promises to his family like he was so prone to do but then he quickly assessed that his red-rimmed eyes and confused look came from sickness rather than drugs.

»No.« He declared to the room as he stood dressed in his academy pajamas with a mug of coffee in his right hand, staring at his offending brother resting on a bed that seemed too small for a man his size. Well, Five had missed the day they had all gotten new beds apparently. His was still the size for a child - which was, frankly, humiliating. Right now, he felt a little like one of the three bears staring down on Goldilocks. Would Luther walk into the room within the next minutes to ask who had eaten from his plate? »Go to Diego.« 

»Gone« Was all Klaus mumbled as he lay there pathetically in Five’s bed as if he owned the place with his certainly running nose pressed into Five’s pillow. A deep clean of the room was in order as soon as he would have removed his brother from the room. Possibly a decontamination shower too. Whatever Klaus had, it was probably contagious. His brother was like a plague rat during the middle ages. 

»What do you mean- Oh.« He then sighed. »Right. The mission.« 

Surprisingly enough - so surprisingly, that Five had almost marked the day in the calendar in a nice bright red - Luther had asked Diego for help the other day. Their two bigger brothers were out tonight hunting down some drug dealers involved with human trafficking to get the information they would need to bust him and his higher-ups soon. He recalled Luther refusing Klaus to accompany them too and he had actually agreed with Number One on that. Getting Klaus even near a drug dealer seemed a bad idea. 

»I hope they slip and fall into a puddle or something.« Klaus muttered into Five’s pillow. Maybe he should just burn everything he owned. »I hope a junkie sneezes on them.« Or maybe he should burn down the entire house.

»I'm pretty sure you already did that.« Five mocked as he walked over to his desk and sat down. His chair was still warm from when he had gotten up from his research and he put down his mug securely on the stained wood of his old desk. Klaus gave a pitiful sound in response. »Why are you angry anyway? Because they didn't take you with them?« 

»Because they say I’m not a burden to the team and that I’m part of all of this but then they don't allow me to tag along.« Klaus huffed and for once Five could understand what was going on in that weird noggin’ of his brother. It truly must suck to feel like a complete waste of space. Not that Klaus was a complete waste of space but he could understand why he felt like he was sometimes. He still thought that Luther had made the right decision, though. »I mean … They don't trust me enough to help them … They think I relapse the moment I see a dealer. That's bullshit, Man!«

»Last time you met your old dealer you were beaten up.« 

»Jeez, Luther is such a tattle-tail.« Klaus sighed before a heavy sneeze rocked his entire body and rearranged all his molecules and brain cells. As Klaus sat up on Five’s bed now, he looked even worse than he had thought before. 

»What the hell happened to you even? Got bit by a rat or a radioactive ghost?«

»The only ghost that's biting me is Ben and he is, as far as we know, not radioactive.«

»No, he’s just some weird Lovecraftian entity so what bad could come from being bitten by him anyway, right?« Klaus had always been weird and their relationship had always been weird as well. Still, it felt rather easy to fall back into certain habits with his brother. They used to joke about Ben all the time growing up. If anything, Klaus had shared his sarcastic sense of humor growing up and he was never above making crude comments or cruel jokes. Well, Ben had always been a good sport when it came to their Cthulhu jokes too. 

»I’m fairly certain that I will not be sprouting tentacles anytime soon.« Klaus huffed and swung his legs over the edge of Five’s bed. All of a sudden, his brother seemed willing and ready to leave his bed willingly without putting up a fight after he had just claimed it as his sickbed just minutes before. 

»Still, you look like shit.« Five sighed. The desk was right next to his bed and so it was easy to just reach over to touch Klaus’ forehead. »Aaaaaaaaand you have a fever. You’re burning up, Dude. Lay back down.«

»But-« 

»Don't force me to punch you.« Five scoffed as he got back up from his chair. »Lay back, rest. You are useless in taking care of yourself anyway.«

»It's fine, really.«

»I’m gonna get Mom.« He plopped out of his room before his brother could begin to form any kind of protest. Finding Mom was easy. He had heard her rummaging through the med bay on his way to the kitchen earlier and she was still there as he plopped back into existence right next to the bed inside the room.

»Oh!« She exclaimed. »Five, you startled me!«

»Sorry, Mom.« He sounded like a sheepish little boy to his own ears. Maybe spending all this time in his thirteen-year-old body had some effect on his mind as well. Better not dwell on it though. »Klaus needs your help. I think he’s got a fever.« 

»Yes, I thought he was coming down with something when I saw him earlier.« She sighed just like she used to when they were kids. Sometimes it was nice to see that she hadn't changed at all during all those years. He had missed her, in a way - even though he had never been that close to her. He had seen it more as a nuisance whenever Grace had tended to his wounds or given him his flu shots. »That's why I asked Diego to restock our supplies too. Let me have a look at him, I’m sure we have him fixed up in no time.«

Watching his mother taking care of his brother was like being thrown back in the past. Nothing seemed to have changed as he leaned in the doorframe and watched her fuss over his brother. Klaus had always been a sickly child and much more often in her care than any of his other siblings. 

She didn't even comment on the fact that Klaus was in Five’s bed. His brother had always been seeking the comfort of his siblings, always in need of physical contact and any kind of attention from them. He tended to get back to his feet faster if he had his siblings around. Maybe he could fill the void until Diego would be back to take over the role of Number Four’s nurse. Everyone knew that he was much better equipped for the job than Five and for Klaus he was only plan b anyway. It was weird to know that. Not that he wished his brother would come to him more often for help but … Well, after everything he had learned about Number Four since his return to his family, it was hard not to feel just a little protective over Klaus.

»He needs rest.« Grace said and pulled him from his idle thoughts. »Would you be a dear and watch him a bit? His cold-compress needs changing regularly.« 

»Can't you-« 

»I’m sorry, Dear.« She smiled. »I have something to take care of, Darling. I’m sure you can handle it just fine.« 

Well, at least one of them had such confidence in his skill as a nurse. »If he dies under my watch it's your fault.« Grace just laughed at that. »Send Diego to pick him up as soon as he comes back.«

»I think your brother is thrilled to spend some time with you, Fivey.« Grace cooed. 

»Yeah, Fivey.« Klaus mocked even with their mother still in the room.

»Last time we spend time together, you smashed a snowglobe on your head.«

»Wasn't that a party, Baby?« Grace chuckled before she left her two boys alone in Five’s childhood room that was still adorned with the same childish wallpapers and toys from when he was thirteen. He ought to change that, give his room a makeover - not that it would be important. »Mom’s right though … I like spending time with you. I missed you.«

»That's the plague talking.«

»Nah, it's not. Maybe a little. But you know the saying. Drunks, kids, and sick people tell the truth.«

»It's just drunks and kids.« He snorted. It felt a little awkward how he was standing near his desk and watching his brother on the bed. Fuck, this was his bedroom and he felt like an intruder because his brother had decided that this was his room now and was eager to spread his disease until every last one of his siblings would be down with the sickness. Maybe that was Klaus’ evil plan to take over the world or destroy it at last. Maybe not Vanya was the bomb but their very own disease-riddled catastrophe in the vague shape of a bipedal mammal. With a sigh, Five finally walked over to the bed and sat down on the edge. This felt even weirder. »You missed me?« 

»Sure.« Klaus shrugged as he looked at him with glassy eyes. Up close he looked even worse and even more pathetic. It might be another one of Klaus’ powers manifesting, though. Soon his nose would be completely stuffed and then he would make those pitiful noises again that he used to make when they were kids. »I mean … We all missed you when you were gone but … I don't know … It was hard. I waited for you to show up, you know? Either in the flesh or … well.« 

»Oh.« Five didn't know what to say to this. He had never quite paused to consider what his siblings had gone through after he had vanished from their time. He had been too busy grieving. When he slept he could still see them the way they had been lying there in between the rubble with dead, vacant eyes. Better not think about it again. Not now. »Did Dad ever … ask you to make contact?«

»All the time.« He sighed. »He was quite aggressive. Luther too. They all wanted me to be useful and at least make contact with you and when I couldn't do it … Well, they kinda gave up on me. And I thought … I thought maybe they are right. Maybe I am just useless. I mean, the only use I seemed to have was to bring someone more useful back to the team, right?«

»You know that's not true.« Klaus only gave a little grunt before he took the washcloth from his forehead and turned around to rest on his stomach. He cringed at the sight and tucked at his brother’s arm. 

»What?« Klaus grunted into his pillow and Five desperately tried not to think about all the bacteria now in his pillow. A fire truly seemed in order. 

»Don't-« He took a deep breath to compose himself and get rid of the images in his head. It seemed impossible, so he pushed at his brother’s shoulder until Klaus slowly turned back around again. He quickly put the wet cloth on his forehead again to mask the tremor that was running through him. »Don't lie on your stomach.«

»What- Why?«

For a moment, it could’ve been years even, he was silently just staring at his brother, meeting his green eyes with his own. Klaus had always been odd. Like a cat, he could see more than other people. He remembered pushing Diego’s shoulder as he lay under a piece of concrete - his spine and torso completely crushed under the weight. In his childish brain, he had tried to wake him up even though he had known that there was no help for his brother anymore. As he had found Klaus, Number Four’s eyes had been open - just slightly - and for a second, he had thought that he was still alive. 

»Because that's how I found you.«

**-End of Chapter 4-**


	5. Remedy

Klaus was like a cat. He had always been like a cat in a way. He just left whenever he wanted to go wherever he wanted and came back when he was ready to come back. He would hog every bit of attention whenever he was in a room with someone, going as far as to sit on his siblings’ laps or lie down on them if there was no room left for him on the couch in front of the TV. Klaus was, in a way, always loud in the same way a cat would be loud. His flailing movements were impossible to ignore and his constant chattering no more than the singing of a cat wanting food and pets. 

The truth was also that Vanya and Klaus had never been close. Growing up, she had never been able to make much sense of him. He had been too erratic, too weird, too wild and too unpredictable. She liked knowing what was going on or what was going to happen. She liked feeling at least somewhat in control over her life, especially since she had gotten the hang of her powers now. Klaus made this difficult. Especially when he would barge into her room unannounced and flop down on her bed while she was lying in it and trying to read. 

Maybe it had been a mistake keeping the lights on for so long. Then again, if Klaus had wanted to come to her for some reason, he would have done so regardless of whether she was awake or not. Klaus had never had much regard for personal space. Once, as a toddler, she had been lying on the carpet in their playroom and Klaus had sat down on her. Suddenly, she felt like her toddler self again.

»Klaus!« She exclaimed. »What the fuck?« Her brother was, luckily, not very heavy and yet having a 6-feet tall guy suddenly fall onto you would certainly leave her with a few bruises. Well, then again bruises are what you get for having siblings, right? 

»Vanya!« The wail that came out of her brother’s throat was an unholy demon sound like a cat starting to cry at nothing in the middle of the night while staring at a half-open door. »I fucked up, Vee!« 

Well, since when was she the one Klaus would go to when he messed something up? She couldn't smell alcohol on his breath and, as she grabbed his chin to force him to look at her, his pupils seemed normal. So not high, then why- Oh. »What did you do to Diego?« 

»I destroyed the cross-stitch that Mom made for him when we were little.«

»Oh.« She sighed and carded her fingers through his curls out of reflex. »You’re doomed.« 

»Aren't you supposed to tell me that it's not so bad?«

»Do you want me to lie to you?« 

»Yes!« He sighed as he rolled to the side so that she could breathe again. »You are my sister! You are supposed to lie to me to make me feel better!« 

»Well, sorry.« She laughed. »I mean how did you even manage to do that?« 

»I messed around with his stuff and the thing fell off the wall and the glass shattered and ripped a hole into the stitching. Right through his name.« Diego and Luther were out on patrol tonight and she recalled Klaus being bitchy about it earlier because his brothers hadn't allowed him to tag along. Well, she felt for him. Klaus was doing great lately. He was getting more and more in control of his powers but it was a slow process for him. He had gotten clean and he had not relapsed yet since the failed apocalypse. He was even training with Diego almost every day to build more muscle and become more of a fighter and yet his siblings did not allow him to accompany them. They were just worried for his safety, of course, still, it had to be annoying.

»Rough.« She whistled. »Don't worry, he’ll come around. He’ll forgive you. He would forgive you anything.« 

»Not this.« Klaus whined. He had always been dramatic and he did his best to look the part right now too as he was resting the back of his right hand against his forehead - every bit the image of a poor fainting lady from the Victorian era. She couldn't help but like this version of her brother better than the version he had shown them in the past. She liked the bubbly fun-loving sober Klaus, the one she could actually talk with without only getting stupid snarky comments in response. She liked this vulnerable version of her brother who would come to his least favorite sister to hide from his favorite living brother. 

»Ask Ben to protect you?«

»He’s on Diego’s side.« Klaus sighed before sticking his tongue out at nothing. So Ben was apparently standing by the door. Good to know.

»Hi, Ben.« She directed a glance at the same spot Klaus had looked at, aware of the surprised look on Klaus’ face and the small smile tugging on his lips. »I agree with him.« She then grinned sheepishly. It felt different and odd to actually jest with her brother. She had never really gotten the chance to do something like that. Now it seemed she would finally get her chance. 

»Traitors! All of you!« Klaus whined. »Oh, what cruel fate! I find no solace, no help within my most beloved siblings! Rather they’d have me thrown to the wolves!«

»So, Diego is the wolf in that scenario?« Vanya quipped. 

»Yes, please, do make fun of my suffering, dear sister. But please remember that it was you who signed my death sentence!« 

»Oh, come on.« She sighed lovingly. »I would never throw you to the wolves. You can stay here and hide until the storm passed.« Diego and Luther had not yet returned but as soon as Diego would find the scene of the crime, he would probably throw a tantrum. Truth be told, her brothers were all no more than big toddlers.

»You are too kind.« 

»I am surprised though that you came to me … I mean what about Allison? Or, hell, even Five?«

»What do you mean?«

»I mean … We usually don't spend much time together.« 

She couldn't quite pinpoint the expression flickering over his face at her statement but when he turned onto his side, he quickly put his arm around her and leaned his head on her shoulder. He was so much bigger than her that it was a little odd how he snuggled up to her. In fact, she felt like she was in the thralls of an Anaconda but having her brother here with her, alive and safe weighed heavier than the awkwardness of it all. »I know.« He mumbled against her shoulder. »We should remedy that.«

**-End of Chapter 5-**


	6. Sidekick

»Okay, listen.« Diego’s voice was barely above a whisper as he turned to look at him. »You’ll stay here and protect the hostages. I’m gonna sneak up on the remaining guys and knock them out. Don't make a sound.« 

»But, Dee-«

»Kraken.«

»No.«

»What?«

»You are not getting me to say ‘But, Kraken’.« 

»Séance, you know-«

»Yes, Krakey, I know. That's beside the point. How am I supposed to whine using that stupid name? Why are you the Kraken anyway? Why isn’t Ben the Kraken? I mean, tentacles?« 

»Would you shut up?« His brother sighed. »This is serious.« And yes, he knew that it was. He was wearing his uniform and his domino mask, after all! 

He hadn't willingly put this shit on for years and now he was wearing it again because he had wanted to be a part of this team again. It had been his choice. Pogo had given their old black uniforms a makeover just like their masks. They looked a lot more like they had back in the day now, even with the eye-coverings so that people couldn't describe their eye color if it would come to it. He remembered asking Pogo for a cape but the chimp had just looked at him, gave an exasperated sigh, shook his head and left. That seemed to be Pogo’s usual reaction when dealing with Klaus ever since he had learned how to talk. Ben had once mockingly told him that Pogo had started to turn grey the moment Klaus had opened his mouth and said his first word. 

»So, Kraken, why can’t I come with you? We don't know how many there are left. Wouldn't it be better if I stay by your side? As your trusty sidekick?«

»You are not my sidekick.« Diego sighed, by now clearly fed up with this discussion. His brother wanted back into the action as always and Klaus just wanted to get the same chance. Hadn't he proven time and time again that he was ready? Hadn't he behaved the ways his siblings had wanted him to behave? »Listen, the others are taking care of the distraction and the plans. I need you to protect the civilians.« 

»Yeah, okay.« He finally gave in. The lookout, the one protecting the hostages. That was his job in all of this every time they were on any sort of mission. It had always been like this and even now it still was like this. Of course, he understood why. He just wasn't a fighter, right? Then again, hadn't he been the sibling who had fought in the Vietnam War? Hadn't he been the sibling crawling through mud and dirt to get to the front lines? Hadn't he been the sibling that had nearly gone deaf from the explosions and the gunfire all around him?

He let out a growl after Diego left him to sneak around the next corner and slammed his back frustrated into the wall he was leaning against. »The lookout.« He hissed to nobody but himself, even though he was aware that the hostages were watching him intently - trusting that he knew what he was doing. Oh, the naiveté! »_Again_. Fuck that.« 

He was aware of the looks the hostages gave him - a mix of fear and curiosity. Ben wasn't here with him right now. He was aiding his siblings in their fight against the bad guys inside the airport and thus there was no one to serve as his impulse control. It wasn't as if he was outright jumping over things right away either. He tried to reign himself in again, tried to swallow his anger but then his anger succeeded and he turned back to the hostages. 

»Keep quiet.« He instructed them before he slowly moved around the next corner in a crouch to observe the situation. He couldn't see Diego or any of his other siblings but he could hear Ben roar in the distance while the monster within him got the dirty work done.

The mission seemed routine enough compared to their childhood adventures. An airport that had been taken over by terrorists threatening to blow up the entire airport and kill the people inside if their demands wouldn't be met. Their demands, in this case, included the release of one high ranking member of their organization from U.S. prison, after that asshole had gotten detained by the military before he could blow up an entire school. 

Luckily, it was a small airport and their hostages were mainly employees of the airport. He had joined Diego to knock out the two guys with guns that were keeping an eye on the hostages while the others were taking care of distracting the rest of the terrorists and, possibly, getting rid of them. Diego and he had neatly tied those two fuckers up and taken their weapons away and still, one of the frightened women behind him gave a little cry as she realized that he was about to leave them. 

»Don't worry, everything's gonna be fine.« He reassured her with a smile over his shoulder before he got up and slowly inched around the corner. A few things happened too quickly for him to catch up. 

First, he found his brother Diego, sneaking up on a guy with a machine guy. Second, Klaus noticed the other terrorist whom Diego had not seen and who was aiming straight at his unsuspecting brother’s head. Third, Klaus yelled out to warn his brother. Fourth, the armed terrorist changed the direction he was pointing his gun at in surprise and pulled the trigger before any one of them realized what was going on. Fifth, everything turned black.

※※※※※※※

As he opened his eyes, he didn't quite know where he was or what had happened at first. He was staring at a white ceiling and couldn't help but feel a little crowded. He couldn't pinpoint the feeling at first or where it came from but it started to grow the less and less foggy his mind started to get. He grew aware of the sound of a steady little beeping next to his head, of something pressing against his face, of something heavy resting on his chest, of something warm at his side. 

»Don't freak out.« Ben was like a beacon of light and hope in a stormy sea. His voice was always calm and steady, even now as he came into Klaus’ view and smiled at him. »You were shot. You are in med bay now. You have an oxygen mask on your face. You lost quite a lot of blood … didn't look good for a while, to be honest. You had Diego freaked out so much he straight up almost killed the guy that shot you. Mission was a success, though.« 

He wanted to move as the information still needed to sink in. He had been shot. Fuck. Well, he had been grazed by a bullet before - in Vietnam - but now he had been outright shot and he couldn't remember anything. He didn't even feel pain. The answer came straight away from Ben who could apparently read his thoughts now. »Mom hooked you up to painkillers.« Ben sighed. »Don't worry, she was careful because of … well, you know.« 

Still, he was afraid that the painkillers would have unfavorable results in the long term. Right now, however, his mind was too foggy to really care about any of that.

»You’ve slept for like … eight hours straight, Dude. The others barely left your side. Especially Diego.« Ben pointed at something on the bed and as Klaus finally glanced down, he found the brother in question resting by his side on the narrow bed, one arm securely wrapped around Klaus’ middle. It would have been cute if Klaus had not been shot. No, it was still cute even with Diego drooling on his shoulder. 

»Luther bitched that he shouldn't get into your bed but Diego didn't listen. He said you would probably want the company.« 

He wasn't wrong. It felt good having his brother here with him. Diego was a source of comfort and security for Klaus - always had been. He gave damn good hugs too and in his arms, Klaus always felt safe and protected from the world. When he had been catapulted to Vietnam, amidst all the chaos and bloodshed and horrors, he had wished for Diego to be there with him just so that everything would be a little less horrible. He was glad that Diego was here now with him, holding him and making sure that he was okay - even against Luther’s complaints.

As Klaus slowly moved to take off the oxygen mask on his face, his brother stirred at his side and opened his eyes slowly. In a matter of seconds, Diego’s hand was on his and stopped him from taking off the mask. »Don't.« He muttered and his voice was thick and hoarse from sleep as he slowly sat up on the narrow bed. He wished he hadn't. »You were injured badly, leave it on, okay? You got shot in the stomach, nearly bled out on the way home. How are you feeling?«

»Mushy.« Klaus murmured through the mask. Even saying that one simple word cost him much more effort and strength than he was ready to admit. 

»I’m sorry, little Bro.« Diego sighed and brushed a hand through Klaus’ curls. »I wasn’t quick enough to- Well, you shouldn't have followed me, to begin with, but-« He gave a little groan, frustrated as he was simultaneously apologizing and guilt-tripping Klaus. »You wanted to protect me, I guess. If it hadn't been for you, this guy would have killed me. So … thank you.« 

»Next time, I’ll listen to you, Krakey.« Klaus huffed and the mask on his face fogged with his breath. 

»Yeah … you better should.« Diego sighed. »Fuck … That shit was scary. Almost lost you, Bro. Don't do that to me ever again, okay?« 

»Promise.« 

Diego seemed reluctant at first, almost as if he wanted to get up and out of the bed but then, with another deep sigh, he slumped back next to him and pulled him into his arms instead. As long as none of the others would come to check on Klaus, the least they could do was cuddle in peace. It was a little odd to Klaus that, for once, it was not he himself who forced any of his siblings into this situation. For once it was not Klaus barging into someone’s room, bullying his way into someone’s bed and arms and demand attention. He had always done it, sometimes out of habit, sometimes because he really needed someone to hold him and keep the ghosts at bay. In his youth, he hadn't cared about whether his siblings were okay with him demanding all this physical attention or not. He had just taken what he wanted. After getting back home, however, after becoming clean and a part of a family again, he had looked back on his behavior and found himself wondering if his siblings might have secretly hated all those times he went to them in the middle of the night for comfort. Even when he started doing it again after all of this mess, he had felt unsure about it. 

It was the first time since he had gotten home, since he had become a part of this family for real again, that he didn't feel like a burden. Diego was by his side in his sickbed, holding him as close as he possibly could. He could feel how his brother’s chest rose and fell beside him, the warmth radiating from him, the comfort his big hands promised. Finally, he thought, he was home.

»You are a dingus.« Diego muttered beside him, his eyes closed again but still wide awake. »Love you, though.« 

**-End of Chapter 6-**


End file.
